RESUMO
PURPOSE: To analyze the correlation between contrast-enhanced ultrasound image features and axillary lymph node metastasis of primary breast cancer and its diagnostic value. METHODS: In this study, 64 patients with axillary lymph node metastasis of primary breast cancer diagnosed and treated in our hospital from February 2011 to March 2013 were collected as an observation group, and 54 patients without axillary lymph node metastasis were collected as a control group. All patients underwent a contrast-enhanced ultrasound examination, and the correlation between the contrast-enhanced ultrasound image features and axillary lymph node metastasis and its diagnostic value were analyzed. They were divided into two groups according to their survival conditions: the group with good efficacy and group with poor efficacy, and the prognostic factors of breast cancer in the two groups were analyzed. RESULTS: There were statistical differences in the peripheral acoustic halo, blood flow classification, ratio of length to diameter (L/D), maximum cortical thickness, and enhancement mode of lymph nodes between the two groups (p < 0.05). The area under ROC curve for diagnosis of axillary lymph node metastasis by contrast-enhanced ultrasound was 0.854, sensitivity was 83.33%, and specificity was 87.5%; L/D and enhancement mode were independent prognostic factors for breast cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound image features have diagnostic and prognostic value for axillary lymph node metastasis of breast cancer.
Assuntos
Neoplasias da Mama/diagnóstico por imagem , Meios de Contraste , Linfonodos/diagnóstico por imagem , Metástase Linfática/diagnóstico por imagem , Análise de Variância , Axila , Neoplasias da Mama/mortalidade , Neoplasias da Mama/patologia , Neoplasias da Mama/fisiopatologia , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Feminino , Humanos , Linfonodos/patologia , Metástase Linfática/patologia , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Avaliação de Resultados em Cuidados de Saúde , Curva ROC , Fluxo Sanguíneo Regional , Análise de Regressão , Sensibilidade e EspecificidadeRESUMO
PURPOSE: The objective of the study was to investigate the role of microRNA-9 (miR-9) targeting forkhead box O1 (FOXO1) in the proliferation, migration, and invasion of breast cancer cells. METHODS: Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was employed to determine the expressions of miR-9 and FOXO1 mRNA in breast cancer tissues, normal breast tissues, breast cancer cell lines, and normal breast epithelial cells. After the up-regulation of miR-9 expression, qRT-PCR and Western blotting were used to determine the expression of FOXO1. The luciferase reporter gene assay was used to validate the target gene. The CCK-8 assay, scratch-wound healing assay, and Transwell invasion assay were used to investigate the changes in the proliferation, migration, and invasion of breast cancer cells, respectively. RESULTS: MicroRNA-9 expression was significantly up-regulated in breast cancer tissues and breast cancer cell lines when compared with normal breast tissues and normal breast epithelial cells (both P < 0.05). FOXO1 mRNA and protein expressions were substantially down-regulated in breast cancer tissues and breast cancer cell lines when compared with normal breast tissues and normal breast epithelial cells (both P < 0.05). There can be a negative correlation between miR-9 and FOXO1 mRNA in breast cancer. Luciferase reporter gene assay indicated that miR-9 can down-regulate FOXO1 expression at a post-transcriptional level through binding specifically to FOXO1 3'UTR. The results of CCK-8 assay, scratch-wound healing assay, and Transwell invasion assay revealed that the inhibition of miR-9 can suppress MCF7 cell proliferation, migration, and invasion. Additionally, the expression of miR-9 increased significantly whilst that of FOXO1 decreased substantially as the disease progressed (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides evidence that miR-9 can promote the proliferation, migration, and invasion of breast cancer cells via down-regulating FOXO1.
Assuntos
Neoplasias da Mama/genética , Proteína Forkhead Box O1/biossíntese , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica/genética , MicroRNAs/biossíntese , Invasividade Neoplásica/genética , Adulto , Neoplasias da Mama/metabolismo , Neoplasias da Mama/patologia , Movimento Celular/genética , Proliferação de Células/genética , Regulação para Baixo , Feminino , Humanos , Células MCF-7 , Pessoa de Meia-IdadeRESUMO
Interleukin-8 (IL-8) is a mediator of inflammation and plays an important role in regulating immune responses. To date, several studies have tested the association between IL-8 gene polymorphisms and development of coronary artery disease (CAD), but their results have proved to be inconsistent. We conducted an investigation to assess the relationship between the IL-8 -251A/T (rs4073) sequence variant and CAD in a Chinese population. Between April 2013 and January 2015, 217 patients with coronary angiography-confirmed CAD were enrolled in our study, along with 245 control subjects. IL-8 -251A/T genotyping was performed using a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay. A chi-square test revealed that IL-8 -251A/T genotype distributions significantly differed between CAD patients and control subjects (chi-square = 8.29, P < 0.02). Moreover, multiple-logistic regression analysis showed that individuals carrying TA [odds ratio (OR) = 1.59, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.01-2.57] and AA (OR = 2.06, 95%CI = 1.21-3.52) genotypes were at increased risk of CAD compared to those with the TT genotype. Under dominant (OR = 1.75, 95%CI = 1.13-2.73) and recessive (OR = 1.54, 95%CI = 1.02-2.37) genetic models, the IL-8 -251A/T polymorphism also significantly correlated with CAD. In conclusion, our results suggest that this variant is an independent risk factor for CAD development under codominant, dominant, and recessive models.
Assuntos
Povo Asiático/genética , Doença da Artéria Coronariana/genética , Interleucina-8/genética , Polimorfismo de Nucleotídeo Único , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Feminino , Frequência do Gene , Estudos de Associação Genética , Predisposição Genética para Doença , Humanos , MasculinoRESUMO
The retracted article is: Han JC, Zhang YJ and Li XD (2015). Association between polymorphisms in the XRCC1 gene and the risk of non-small cell lung cancer. Genet. Mol. Res. 14: 12888-12893. The GMR editorial staff was alerted about this article (received on May 3, 2015; accepted on August 18, 2015) published on October 21, 2015 (DOI: 10.4238/2015.October.21.9) that was found to be substantially similar to the publication of "Association of XRCC1 gene polymorphisms with risk of non-small cell lung cancer" (received on January 25, 2015; accepted on March 23, 2015; e-published on April 1, 2015) by Kang et al., published in the International Journal of Clinical Experimental Pathology 8 (4): 4171-4176. The authors were aware of the Kang et al.'s paper, since they cite it several times in the manuscript published in GMR. Some of the language is similar between the two manuscripts, but what is the most concerning is that several of the tables in the papers are nearly identical. Tables 2 and 3 are exactly identical between the two articles, suggesting that the publication in GMR was plagiarized from the publication in the International Journal of Clinical Experimental Pathology. The Publisher and Editor decided to retract these articles in accordance with the recommendations of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). After a thorough investigation, we have strong reason to believe that the peer review process was failure and, after review and contacting the authors, the editors of Genetics and Molecular Research decided to retract the article. The authors and their institutions were advised of this serious breach of ethics.
RESUMO
The objective of this study was to examine the effect of high-intensity exercise on interleukin-15 (IL-15) expression in rabbit synovia. We utilized 24 New Zealand white rabbits, which were randomly divided equally into high-intensity exercise and control groups. The former were forced to run for 60 min/day over 4 weeks at the speed of 30 m/min. The histological changes of cartilage and knee joint synovia were investigated with hematoxylin and eosin staining. Immunohistochemistry and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were performed to measure IL-15 expression. From these analyses, we identified knee articular cartilage damage and synovitis in the high-intensity exercise group. This group also exhibited higher IL-15 expression in their synovial fluid and tissues than was observed in the control group (P < 0.05). These results suggested that high-intensity exercise might lead to synovitis and articular cartilage damage, and that IL-15 overexpression in synovia might be associated with post-traumatic osteoarthritis.
Assuntos
Interleucina-15/metabolismo , Condicionamento Físico Animal , Líquido Sinovial/metabolismo , Animais , Cartilagem Articular/metabolismo , Condrócitos/metabolismo , Ensaio de Imunoadsorção Enzimática , Imuno-Histoquímica , Coelhos , Membrana Sinovial/metabolismoRESUMO
The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of high intensity exhaustive exercise on nitric oxide (NO), malondialdehyde (MDA), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) expression in rats with knee osteoarthritis. Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into control (N = 5) and model (N = 35) groups; the model group was further divided into quiet (N = 5), low- (N = 15) and high- (N = 15) intensity exhaustive exercise groups. The low- and high-intensity groups were randomly divided into pre-exercise (N = 5), immediate post-exercise (N = 5), and 24-h post-exercise (N = 5) groups according to different time points for detection. NO, MDA, and SOD levels were compared between each group. The SOD levels in the quiet, low-, and high-intensity exhaustive exercise groups were lower than that in the control group, whereas the NO and MDA levels were higher in the former groups than in the controls (P < 0.05). The SOD level in the 24-h post-low intensity exhaustive exercise group was higher than that in the 24-h post-high intensity exhaustive exercise group, whereas the NO and MDA levels were lower in the 24-h post-low intensity than in the post-high intensity exercise group (P < 0.05). Overall, the results demonstrated that with the increase of exercise intensity, the SOD activity in the rats with knee osteoarthritis decreased gradually, whereas the MDA and NO levels gradually increased. Thus, the greater the exercise intensity, the more serious the impact on knee osteoarthritis.
Assuntos
Malondialdeído/metabolismo , Atividade Motora/fisiologia , Óxido Nítrico/metabolismo , Osteoartrite do Joelho/metabolismo , Superóxido Dismutase/metabolismo , Animais , Masculino , Oxirredução , Ratos , Ratos Sprague-DawleyRESUMO
We determined the potential for induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells to differentiate into nucleus pulposus (NP)-like cells in mice. iPS cells were generated from tail-tip fibroblasts. We used a pellet culture model with the aim of determining the applicability of iPS cell-based therapy to intervertebral disc degeneration (IVD). The cell pellet was cultured in an NP cell basal medium comprising Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium supplemented with transforming growth factor beta 1, dexamethasone, ascorbate-2-phosphate, and 1% ITS-Premix. The pellet was evaluated by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemical staining, and biochemical composition. The differentiation of iPS cells into NP cells was demonstrated by the protein and mRNA expression levels of proteoglycan, collagen II, aggrecan, and CD24. Furthermore, increased hydroxyproline content and dimethylmethylene blue staining demonstrated that the collagen II and glycosaminoglycan content in the NP cells increased with time. We have shown that cultured mouse iPS cells can be induced to differentiate into NP cells. Such proof-of-concept opens up the possibility of producing patient-specific NP cells in a relatively simple and straightforward manner with high efficiency. We are confident that such cells could be immediately useful for the study of IVD disease.
Assuntos
Células-Tronco Pluripotentes Induzidas/citologia , Agrecanas/metabolismo , Animais , Antígeno CD24/metabolismo , Diferenciação Celular/fisiologia , Células Cultivadas , Colágeno Tipo II/metabolismo , Glicosaminoglicanos/metabolismo , Imuno-Histoquímica , Degeneração do Disco Intervertebral/metabolismo , Deslocamento do Disco Intervertebral/metabolismo , Cariótipo , Camundongos , Proteoglicanas/metabolismo , Medicina RegenerativaRESUMO
Here, we have reported a case-control study investigating the association between XRCC1 codons Arg194Trp, Arg280His, and Arg399Gln and the development of NSCLC. NSCLC patients (N = 245) and healthy controls (N = 257) were randomly selected from the Huaihe Hospital between March 2012 and August 2014. DNA extracted from the patient and control blood samples were subjected to polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) to assess the genotyping of XRCC1 Arg194Trp, Arg280His, and Arg399Gln. Multivariate logistic regression analyses revealed an association between the expression of the AA genotype and A allele genotypes and a significantly increased risk of NSCLC, compared to the GG genotype [95% confidence interval (CI); Odd's ratio (OR) = 2.82 (1.141-5.86) and 1.67 (1.17-2.37), respectively]. The potential association between the A allele of XRCC1 Arg399Gln and the risk of NSCLC was more evident in smokers (95%CI; OR = 1.70; 1.11- 2.63). In conclusion, the XRCC1 Arg399Gln polymorphism was found to be associated with increased risk of NSCLC, especially in tobacco smokers.
Assuntos
Carcinoma Pulmonar de Células não Pequenas/genética , Proteínas de Ligação a DNA/genética , Predisposição Genética para Doença , Polimorfismo de Nucleotídeo Único/genética , Estudos de Casos e Controles , Feminino , Genótipo , Humanos , Modelos Logísticos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Polimorfismo de Fragmento de Restrição/genética , Proteína 1 Complementadora Cruzada de Reparo de Raio-XRESUMO
In this study, the ErbB3-binding protein (Ebp1) and p53 protein expression in cervical cancer tissues, and its significance in the prognosis of the disease was investigated. Ebp1 and p53 protein expression was detected by immunohistochemical analysis in cervical cancer tissues (N = 60) and normal tissues adjacent to the cancer tissues (N = 60). The rates of positive Ebp1 and p53 protein expression were 35.0 and 60.0%, respectively. Ebp1 and p53 were overexpressed in cervical cancer tissues, compared to normal tissues (P < 0.05). Ebp1 and p53 protein expression was not correlated with age, tumor size, or family tumor history (P > 0.05). However, high levels of expression of Ebp1 and p53 were positively correlated with the TNM stage and lymphatic metastasis in cervical cancer patients (P < 0.05). The combined determination of Ebp1 and p53 expression levels in cervical cancer patients could support the effective prediction of metastatic potential and patient prognosis.
Assuntos
Proteínas Adaptadoras de Transdução de Sinal/genética , Carcinoma/diagnóstico , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica , Proteínas de Ligação a RNA/genética , Proteína Supressora de Tumor p53/genética , Neoplasias do Colo do Útero/diagnóstico , Adulto , Idoso , Carcinoma/genética , Carcinoma/patologia , Carcinoma/cirurgia , Linhagem Celular Tumoral , Proliferação de Células , Feminino , Humanos , Imuno-Histoquímica , Metástase Linfática , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estadiamento de Neoplasias , Prognóstico , Carga Tumoral , Neoplasias do Colo do Útero/genética , Neoplasias do Colo do Útero/patologia , Neoplasias do Colo do Útero/cirurgiaRESUMO
The objectives of this study were to observe the changes in expression of ErbB-3 binding protein (Ebp1) in cervical cancer and to investigate their clinic significance. We detected the expression level of Ebp1 in cancerous and adjacent tissues from 56 patients with cervical cancer. We identified 21 Ebp1 positive samples (37.5%) from among the 56 cervical cancer tissue samples and 5 Ebp1 positive samples (8.9%) in the corresponding adjacent tissues; the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). No statistically significant (P > 0.05) differences in the rates of positive Ebp1 expression were found between patients under 60 years of age and those equal to or over this age. No statistically significant differences (P > 0.05) were found between patients whose tumor diameters were under 5 cm and those with tumor diameters over 5 cm. No statistically significant differences (P > 0.05) in the Ebp1 positive rates were found among the cervical cancer samples when stratified by grade (I, II, or III). Together, these results demonstrate that Ebp1 protein expression is upregulated in cervical cancer tissues but is not related to clinical pathologic factors such as patient age or tumor size or differentiation level, suggesting that Ebp1 plays an important role in the genesis and growth process of cervical cancer.
Assuntos
Proteínas Adaptadoras de Transdução de Sinal/biossíntese , Biomarcadores Tumorais/biossíntese , Proteínas de Ligação a RNA/biossíntese , Neoplasias do Colo do Útero/genética , Proteínas Adaptadoras de Transdução de Sinal/genética , Adulto , Fatores Etários , Biomarcadores Tumorais/genética , Carcinogênese , Feminino , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica , Humanos , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estadiamento de Neoplasias , Proteínas de Ligação a RNA/genética , Neoplasias do Colo do Útero/patologiaRESUMO
BACKGROUNDS: The present study aimed to evaluate benefit of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAI) combined with systemic chemotherapy (SCT) for patients with colorectal liver metastases (CLMs) in a palliative setting. METHODS: This was a retrospective single-center study including 43 consecutive patients with CLM after failure of standard SCT. Among them, 20 (47 %) patients underwent HAI combined with SCT (Group A) and 23 historical control patients who had received SCT with or without targeted agent treatment (Group B). RESULTS: The two groups had similar characteristics. Compared with SCT alone, HAI combined with SCT prolonged survival (median 19.8 vs. 9.0 months; P = 0.045). Median hepatic progression-free survival was significantly longer for HAI combined with SCT vs. SCT alone (median 8.1 vs. 4.7 months; P = 0.027), as were response rates (25 and 0 %; P = 0.038) and progression-free survival (median 5.7 vs. 3.0 months; P = 0.02). Three patients (15 %) achieved conversion to potentially curative surgery. Grade 3/4 toxicities for Group A and Group B were neutropenia (5 and 8.7 %, respectively), anemia (5 and 0 %, respectively), and hyperbilirubinemia (0 and 4.3 %, respectively). Other complications were mostly grade 1 or 2. CONCLUSIONS: HAI combined with SCT treatment can improve overall survival compared with SCT alone in highly advanced CLM refractory to intravenous chemotherapy.
Assuntos
Adenocarcinoma/tratamento farmacológico , Antineoplásicos/administração & dosagem , Neoplasias Colorretais/tratamento farmacológico , Neoplasias Hepáticas/tratamento farmacológico , Terapia de Salvação/métodos , Adenocarcinoma/mortalidade , Adenocarcinoma/secundário , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Antineoplásicos/efeitos adversos , Neoplasias Colorretais/mortalidade , Neoplasias Colorretais/patologia , Intervalo Livre de Doença , Feminino , Artéria Hepática , Humanos , Infusões Intra-Arteriais , Estimativa de Kaplan-Meier , Neoplasias Hepáticas/mortalidade , Neoplasias Hepáticas/secundário , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estudos RetrospectivosRESUMO
We investigated the association between vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene +1612G/A, -634C/G, and +936G/C and the clinical outcome of osteosarcoma. Genomic DNA was isolated from blood samples, and 3 VEGF gene polymorphisms (+1612G/A, -634C/G, and +936G/C) were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Of the 194 patients, 82 patients (42.27%) showed a good response to chemotherapy, while 73 (37.63%) died during the follow-up period. When comparing good and poor responders, we observed no significant association between the VEGF +1612G/A, -634G/C, and +936T/C polymorphisms and clinical outcome of osteosarcoma patients. According to Cox regression analysis, the VEGF +1612A/G, -634G/C, and +936T/C polymorphisms did not statistically significantly increase the risk of overall survival of patients with osteosarcoma. This study showed that VEGF +1612A/G, -634G/C, and +936T/C polymorphisms were not related to the response to chemotherapy and clinical outcome of osteosarcoma patients.
Assuntos
Neoplasias Ósseas/diagnóstico , Osteossarcoma/diagnóstico , Polimorfismo de Nucleotídeo Único , Fator A de Crescimento do Endotélio Vascular/genética , Adolescente , Adulto , Neoplasias Ósseas/genética , Criança , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Osteossarcoma/genética , Polimorfismo de Fragmento de Restrição , Prognóstico , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Two new species of the tetrigid genus Xistra Bolivar from China, namely Xistra oculata Li, Deng et Zheng n. sp. and Xistra brachynota Li, Deng et Zheng n. sp. are described. An updated key to all known species of the genus is given.
Assuntos
Ortópteros/classificação , Animais , ChinaRESUMO
A new species, Macromotettixoides lativertex Deng et al n. sp. is described with detailed illustrations of external morphology. Comparison between the species M. lativertex n. sp. and allied species is compiled into a table for identification. The distribution and an updated identification key to all known species of the genus is given.
Assuntos
Ortópteros/classificação , Animais , ChinaRESUMO
The taxonomy of the tetrigid genus Alulatettix Liang is reviewed. A new species, Alulatettix orthomarginalis n. sp. is described. The annotated list and key to all known species of Alulatettix are given.
Assuntos
Ortópteros/anatomia & histologia , Ortópteros/classificação , Animais , Feminino , MasculinoRESUMO
Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) occur at high frequencies in both plant and animal genomes and can provide broad genome coverage and reliable estimates of genetic relationships. The availability of expressed sequence tag (EST) data has made it feasible to discover SNPs. DNA analysis is crucial in genetic studies not only for strawberry breeding programs but also for characterization of hybrids and species. We cloned 96 EST sequences, and 116 SNPs were discovered by comparing 16 strawberry cultivars grown in the region of Nanjing, China. Sequence alignment of 6 group sequences derived from 16 sample cultivars yielded 116 SNPs, within a total genomic sequence length of 1755 bp. The SNPs were discovered with a mean frequency of one SNP per 15 bp. These SNPs were comprised of 57% transitions, 32.7% transversions, 8.6% InDels, and 1.7% others, based on which a phylogenetic tree was constructed. Among the 116 SNPs, 75% were located within the open reading frame (ORF), while 25% were located outside the ORF. All 16 cultivars scattered well in dendrogram derived from the SNP data, demonstrating that SNPs can be a powerful tool for cultivar identification and genetic diversity analysis in strawberries.
Assuntos
DNA de Plantas/genética , Fragaria/genética , Genoma de Planta/genética , Polimorfismo de Nucleotídeo Único , China , DNA de Plantas/química , Fragaria/classificação , Genes de Plantas/genética , Variação Genética , Fases de Leitura Aberta/genética , Filogenia , Análise de Sequência de DNA , Especificidade da EspécieRESUMO
We investigated the effectiveness of celecoxib in reducing symptoms in patients with difficult chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS), NIH category IIIA. Sixty-four patients with category IIIA CPPS were randomized into two groups of 32 subjects each. One group was treated with celecoxib (200 mg daily) and the other with placebo. All patients underwent treatment for 6 weeks and were evaluated clinically before (baseline) and after 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks of treatment. The evaluation included the NIH Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) and a subjective global assessment (SGA). Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to evaluate treatment and time effects and their interaction. A decrease (means ± SD) in total NIH-CPSI score from 23.91 ± 5.27 to 15.88 ± 2.51 in the celecoxib group and from 24.25 ± 5.09 to 19.50 ± 2.50 in the placebo group was observed during treatment (0 to 6 weeks). A statistically significant decrease was observed in pain subscore (P < 0.006), quality of life subscore (P < 0.032) and total NIH-CPSI score (P < 0.015) after 2, 4 and 6 weeks, but not in urinary subscore. In addition, 38 percent of the celecoxib and 13 percent of the placebo subjects had at least a moderate improvement in SGA. The trend was similar for the NIH-CPSI scores. However, the response to treatment in terms of total NIH-CPSI score or subscore was not significantly different from placebo after interruption of treatment for 2 weeks. Our results show that celecoxib provides significant symptomatic improvement limited to the duration of the therapy in patients with difficult category IIIA CPPS compared to placebo.
Assuntos
Adolescente , Adulto , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Adulto Jovem , /uso terapêutico , Dor Pélvica/tratamento farmacológico , Pirazóis/uso terapêutico , Sulfonamidas/uso terapêutico , Doença Crônica , Medição da Dor , Projetos Piloto , Índice de Gravidade de Doença , Síndrome , Resultado do Tratamento , Adulto JovemRESUMO
We investigated the effectiveness of celecoxib in reducing symptoms in patients with difficult chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CPPS), NIH category IIIA. Sixty-four patients with category IIIA CPPS were randomized into two groups of 32 subjects each. One group was treated with celecoxib (200 mg daily) and the other with placebo. All patients underwent treatment for 6 weeks and were evaluated clinically before (baseline) and after 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks of treatment. The evaluation included the NIH Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) and a subjective global assessment (SGA). Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to evaluate treatment and time effects and their interaction. A decrease (means +/- SD) in total NIH-CPSI score from 23.91 +/- 5.27 to 15.88 +/- 2.51 in the celecoxib group and from 24.25 +/- 5.09 to 19.50 +/- 2.50 in the placebo group was observed during treatment (0 to 6 weeks). A statistically significant decrease was observed in pain subscore (P < 0.006), quality of life subscore (P < 0.032) and total NIH-CPSI score (P < 0.015) after 2, 4 and 6 weeks, but not in urinary subscore. In addition, 38% of the celecoxib and 13% of the placebo subjects had at least a moderate improvement in SGA. The trend was similar for the NIH-CPSI scores. However, the response to treatment in terms of total NIH-CPSI score or subscore was not significantly different from placebo after interruption of treatment for 2 weeks. Our results show that celecoxib provides significant symptomatic improvement limited to the duration of the therapy in patients with difficult category IIIA CPPS compared to placebo.